Birds & Words

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Embossing Diffusers

Happy Spring, CC3Cer's!!  The weather is warming up and things are turning green and I'm thinking travel!  We've got a couple of family trips planned soon that we're really looking forward to and I took that theme for my challenge today.

I'm a big fan of dimension and texture and I love the look of embossed paper.  Embossing Diffusers are such a cool addition to this look!!  This year is all about frames for me, I see them everywhere and the "diffused" area creates a fantastic frame for your featured images.
I embossed a panel of watercolor paper using Tim's Regal Flourish Texture Fade embossing folder.  I picked up some Cracked Pistachio and Old Paper Distress Inks with a Detail Nib water brush and touched the high embossed areas.  I used Vintage Photo blended over the whole thing, leaving the center oval mostly white.

Note:
I used the following sandwich in my Vagabond, which would also work in the Big Shot:
Solo or Multipurpose Platform
Embossing Diffuser Plate
Embossing folder containing watercolor paper
Acrylic cutting plate

After running this sandwich through and getting my embossed area, I ran the paper back through with with following sandwich to get the inner oval frame to emboss:
Solo or Multipurpose Platform
2 Spellbinders Rubber Tan mats (you need to use rubber matting to equal the thickness of the acrylic cutting plate)
Watercolor paper with oval cutout placed over diffused oval area
Acrylic cutting plate

This is a bit different than what you'll read in Compendium of Curiosities III, but its what worked for me.  The point of this challenge is to use the Embossing Diffusers in your project, but you will need your own copy of the book, as always.  Hopefully, this will not confuse you, but will simplify things.  Tim's book, which I'm SURE you own!!, will add step by step photos and details to help you get your very best, successful result. 
 
We live in Colorado and Tim's Tall Trees stamp is a very worn, well loved stamp in my collection.  I traced the oval from the Embossing Diffuser on some paper and cut the oval out to create a mask, then stamped the Tall Trees through the mask.   I can really relate to the little jalopy bumping over mountain roads through the trees as we begin our journey. 
A little spiral of white wire tells you our jalopy is chugging along.  I've got a big bag of old car keys I got from an estate sale.  This one went with a 1969 white Ford of some kind.  4 door.  ;-)
 Some bits of Tim's Expedition Ephemera.  Planes, trains, and automobiles, baby.
When I was a little girl, wanted to go see all the places I saw on my View Master. Sequoia trees in California, Niagara Falls, Mt. Rushmore, all of it.  This Picture Wheel has always meant travel to me.  I put some alcohol ink on acetate and then cut an extra picture wheel, just for the little window cutouts.

How are you going to diffuse?  There are more ways to use this one and I KNOW you guys are going to find them!!!

Our sponsor this challenge is Inspiration Emporium.  A FABulous $50 gift certificate for a randomly chosen winner.  Just by entering your art!!  You oughta do it.  Just follow some simple guidelines on Linda Ledbetter's blog and you've got a chance for this cool prize.  The Curiosity Crew Choice wins an outrageous bundle of goodies from Tim Holtz himself!!  

Alrighty, then.  Go explore your world! 

32 comments:

  1. OMG, this is so absolutely gorgeous!! Of course the difusers are great, but it's the way you have put this together that I am in love with, really stunning, love how the trees are offset from the frame and the way you have put the other elements together, it looks fantastic!!

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  2. How beautiful is this!!! I really love the embossed panel with those dreamy colours, a wonderful way to add depth and interest! I love the way you shadowed the trees too, very effective! hugs :)

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  3. So many wonderful things to see on this beautiful creation. I love the way you layered up the trees to create a shadow, the jalopy with the spring is so appropriate and the elements you chose to add are wonderful. It all makes me want to go travelling too... Hugs, Anne x

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  4. Cheryl...your tag is so pretty. Love how you stamped the tall pines into your embossed oval. The colors on your embossed background are very outdoors-y and perfect for your travel theme. Love the vintage photo and all of the other ephemera you added. As always, such a delicate sweet creation.

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  5. Cheryl...you have nailed it! You have created a gorgeous tag that hightlights the technique so beautifully! Love this and the story the tag tells! You have a gift for that, wink. Love all the little details and the coloration....very you, wink. love ya sweets!

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  6. Oh you clever girl with that white wire wind-up thingy on your jalopy. Love that little detail. And also the acetate Picture Wheel with alcohol inks. Nice little addition I hadn't noticed upon my first look. Wonderful travel-themed tag. Here's to many happy travel adventures!

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  7. Girlfriend you ROCKED this tag , EVERY detail, every texture ... EVERY LAYER... just amazing, love the colors too !! Yes, those diffuser can be confusing... but once you get the hang of it it's amazing !

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  8. Ahhh, the viewmaster. What memories you brought back. I loved looking through it at my grandparents house. Love everything you did Cheryl. You depicted the perfect vintage "trip" in every way. j.

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  9. Like the way you used all the elements in this tag. Nice!

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  10. Love the water color touches with the embossing diffusers technique, such a beautiful backdrop for your Colorado Pines. Thanks for sharing your wonderful travel memories and all the details on your amazing tag.

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  11. This is wonderful and such a creative, clever use of the diffuser. My favorite part is the car key! What a cool idea. I'm not sure I understand your instructions for the second embossing run, but maybe I'll give it a try, because yours turned out great!

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  12. OH - I meant to ask you about the letters! Are they pre-cut /bought that way or did you make them in the die-cut machine?

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    1. The words are from Tim's Adventure Words: Script thin die set by Sizzix. I LoVe!! all Tim's Handwritten and Script die sets. You can mix up the words to say all kinds of stuff. I just did a retirement card for my uncle based on this tag and used "Explore the World" on it. Fun!!

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  13. This tag turned out so well, Cheryl! Love how you stamped the trees into the black area of the embossed paper! The embossing turned out great as well as the colors you used on the embossing! Of course I love the nature theme with the car, key and view master - reminds me of a great trip through the Rocky Mountain Park

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  14. This tag is just adorable. The story it tells so clever! Love the tag

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  15. But what a beautiful story tells this tag! It is a dream .... and I dream to visit the United States!

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  16. Love the photo and the story behind your tag Cheryl. You are the tag queen my lady. :)

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  17. This is so FUN!!! LOVE the trees in the middle! LOVE the jalopy, love the layers!!!

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  18. Thanks so much for the alternative sandwiches! I should have read your blog before I tried my version!

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  19. It is that time of year when we think of travel and you have set my mind to the road. It's a great theme - TFS

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  20. OMG! This is such a fun tag Cheryl!! OK, I'm ready for a road trip now!! :) :) This tag sets the tone for travel superbly!! LOVE your embossed background with all of the wonderful layers and that cute little spiral of 'smoke' from your jalopy--AWESOME!! Your attention to the smallest of details is what makes your creations soooo Wonderful!! Happy Travels this year!! XOXO-Shari

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  21. I love all the texture and details you've added to your tag! I also love how you added color to the embossed watercolor paper...great idea and effect!

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  22. Really cute card. I love your tree stamp and little auto...

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  23. Cheryl, your art always draws me in--I think it's the colors and your nod to nature...LOVE! This tag is no exception! I enjoyed seeing how you thought putting this all together. I have to laugh at the key and the estate sale purchase...you sound like me! I don't think that key is going to work with the jalopy, though! Perhaps a crank! The viewfinder is so interesting, and I laughed at this, too, because I would look at the views in the finder and think these were places I'd like to visit. My Dad fulfilled my dreams when he took 4 of us kids across country one summer in a pop-up camper. Oh the sites we have in this amazing country! I digress! I love every square inch of this tag, and you have inspired me more than you will ever know! Hugs!

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  24. This really does make you think of traveling, in lovely vintage style. Love the colours too.

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  25. You crack me up. I love your placement on this one. The key just adds so much even though it's such a small element to your master piece. I'm going to try to copy what you did with the trees. SO creative. Thanks Cheryl.

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  26. Love all the layers here! Also, thanks for the extra help. I just bought my diffusers and can use all the help I can get.

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  27. Oh.. Cheryl...!! I adore your beautiful stylish tag ..the details and layers are stunning!!.. love what you have done with the diffuser...Awesome design x

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  28. oh I love it! it makes me want to go on a road trip. =)

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  29. definitively, explore the world. your tag got the feeling completly. love it

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  30. Cheryl, I love all the elements on your tag...especially the View Master! I love all travel details and your tall tree.

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  31. What's NOT to love about this?! You've used my fave Old Jalopy (my Grandpa Raymer restored a 1931 Durant he bought the yr I was born in '65 & I grew up being with him showing it as he enjoyed his grandkids as much as his cars!!!) for the memory it serves to me of wonderful old times. This card is totally WONDERFUL to me!!!!

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